The federal opposition has turned on the embattled ABC board, blasting directors for their role in last week's leadership turmoil and suggesting some are only in the job because they are "mates" of the government.

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten stopped short of calling for the seven-member board to resign, but said they had serious questions to answer over the botched sacking of managing director Michelle Guthrie and resignation of chairman Justin Milne.

Mr Milne quit last Thursday after it was revealed he wanted two journalists to be fired because the government did not like them.

Ms Guthrie gave the board detailed evidence of Mr Milne's demands but the directors - who have a legal obligation to protect the ABC from interference - only moved against the chairman after the claims became public.

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"This is a failure of governance, it's a failure of politics, it's a failure of the government," Mr Shorten said on Tuesday.

"I mean how much did these board directors know was going on? Were they really just mushrooms kept in the dark when apparently it was just the chairman and the managing director at war with each other?

"I don't know what these directors were doing."

Politicians and former ABC managers have called for the board to resign but acting chairwoman Kirstin Ferguson has argued that resignations would only worsen the upheaval at the public broadcaster.

Mr Milne, Ms Guthrie and the board are all expected to be called to give evidence at an upcoming parliamentary inquiry into the saga.

"What do they know and when did they know it?" Mr Shorten asked of the board.

"Are we assuming Justin Milne was a lone wolf operating here in issuing edicts to Michelle Guthrie? What is the job of the board? Are they just there for a biscuit and a cup of tea?

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"Most Australians think if they conducted themselves like the government or the directors of banks or the ABC, they would lose their jobs. But there's one rule for everyday Australians and another for the lucky few who are well-connected."

Half of the current ABC board were appointed by the government without the endorsement of the independent nomination panel designed to depoliticise board appointments.

Neil Brown, a former member of the independent panel tasked with deciding who should run the ABC and SBS, told Fairfax Media on Tuesday the Coalition had been "abusing" the system.

A minister in the Fraser government and deputy Liberal leader under John Howard, the Melbourne-based QC also attacked Mitch Fifield, accusing the Communications Minister of "making a fool of himself" by repeatedly ignoring advice from the panel.

Those directors appointed by Senator Fifield are Minerals Council of Australia chairwoman Vanessa Guthrie, South Australian businesswoman Donny Walford, and Melbourne lawyer Joseph Gersh, who is close to former treasurer Peter Costello.

Senator Fifield has also appointed others to the SBS board who did not go through the nominations panel process.